性别分配及鸟类子代性比研究进展

Sex allocation and progress in the studies on offspring sex ratio of birds

性别分配涉及物种生存策略、个体适合度以及种群动态等多方面因素影响,一直受到研究人员的广泛关注.鸟类是性别分配研究的理想对象.当前,有关鸟类性别分配已有较多研究,其中,子代性比作为性别分配最直接的观测指标受到研究者的普遍关注,其影响因素对于性别分配问题的研究具有指向性的意义,也因此成为该领域的一个研究热点.有关子代性比影响因素的研究主要集中在环境、亲代和子代三大方面,但是目前对于关键影响因素缺乏一般性结论,亲鸟对子代性比的控制能力及其内在作用机制也尚不明确,相关问题仍需不断探索.本文以性别分配研究得以发展的4个重要观点作为基础,对鸟类子代性比的相关研究及其进展进行了评述.

Sex allocation has caught much attention because it is related to life strategies,individual fitness and population dynamics.Birds,a class of vertebrates with extremely high species diversity and abundance,are ideal subjects for the study of sex allocation.Several classic hypotheses have been proposed,such as evolutionary stable strategy and Trivers-Willard hypothesis.Offspring sex ratio is a direct observation of sex allocation,so the factors influencing offspring sex ratio are key to the understanding of sex allocation between males and females.Currently,the field focuses on the research of environmental,parental and offspring factors.However,up to date it is still an open question which factor determines the offspring sex ratio,and much work needs to be done before we know to what extent parents can regulate offspring sexes.In this review,we summarize the progress in the factors influencing the offspring sex ratio,presenting a spectrum of offspring sex ratio studies from the classic hypotheses to empirical studies.